Deftones Deliver a Ferocious London Finale
Though London was a far cry from the scorching day Deftones headlined Crystal Palace Park, the alt-metal godfathers returned to the capital with a fire-fuelled finale to their riot-inducing European tour. Rain fell (obviously), but it did little to dampen the electricity as fans piled into The O2 Arena, undeterred and ready for something explosive.
New York’s Drug Church addressed the “old metal heads, new metal heads and goth baddies” during their lively set, hyping up the impressive reach Deftones has across generations and sub-cultures.
Denzel Curry fans were aplenty. It didn’t take much to get this crowd chanting “Goated” and throwing their hands up to ‘Victory Lap’. Amongst the dense chaos, frontman Denzel took a moment to explain pit etiquette, which we applaud in mixed genre spaces.
Infamous long leaded mic in hand, Chino Moreno launched, in typical Chino choreography, into ‘Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)’. The crowd did not miss a beat. Low suspended notes filled the arena and the buzz of excitement was fierce.
private music’s unmistakable snake slithered across the screens and London indulged in an iconic catalogue. From ‘locked club’, ‘Diamond Eyes’ and ‘milk of the madonna' to arena erupting ‘Digital Bath’, ‘Rosemary’ and ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’. Attunement with fans at this level is unsurprising. It’s been (almost) 30 years since Deftones first came to the UK, and they can confidently boast fans who identify with an album/song from across the decades of their career.
Fighting for my life against the edge of a surging pit during ‘Swerve City’, I could not see a single stationary person. Even during the sultry performances of ‘Sextape’ and ‘Hole in the Earth’ the room was alive with echoing voices, reaching hands and dramatic movements. The magnitude of the reception is not lost on them. Chino took a moment to thank the room but the real gratitude comes from the performance. Whether it’s the intensity of Chino’s vocal delivery, the passion of the band or the abstract artwork that ties you it the Deftones experience, commitment to quality is unfettered.
It would not have been a Deftones gig without a triple encore to send you into an emotional tailspin. A nod to the newest fans following the resurgence on TikTok, ‘Cherry Waves’ preceded the unifyingly feral ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’.
“Shut up, you don’t know me” shut the show down in the ground-trembling finale ‘7 Words’, leaving fans feeling like they had experienced a true rock and roll event. Whether it’s the rockstar demeanour of the band or the chaos they unleash, Deftones deliver a version of an experience many of us wish we could return to and the rest did not get a chance to.
Headlining All Points East later this year, I have no doubt that Deftones will bring the emotionally captivating, adrenaline spiking chaos that permanently features in all of their live shows.